(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Melting snow and ice is making things messy around Colorado Springs after our biggest snow of the season.

Some neighborhood sidewalks still haven’t been shoveled, but the City is reminding people they have to get it done.

The city has a code established that it is the homeowners’ responsibility to shovel sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowstorm.

Areas that don’t get shoveled soon after the snow is where ice forms fast. If someone slips and falls in an area you’re responsible for shoveling, you could be liable.

“Areas that don’t get shoveled the quicker ice forms, and then people slip and fall. The city code specifically says that property owners who don’t do that can face some liability,” said Mitch Hammes, Neighborhood Services manager with Colorado Springs.

Neighbors around Colorado Springs say shoveling driveways and sidewalks as soon as the snow stops, is best. The longer you wait, the more likely you are to deal with a layer of ice underneath the snow.

“The sooner you get it done, the easier it is. Because the more you wait, temperatures tend to drop and the snow freezes up and makes it harder to break it up,” said David Sullivan, a Colorado Springs neighbor, and Veteran.

“My grandmother can’t really do it, so I do it for her. It’s good to just get it cleared out early so it doesn’t build up. We do it just so nobody falls. We don’t want anybody to get hurt,” said Alex McClellan, who lives in Colorado Springs.

The city’s code also applies to businesses and apartment complexes. Business owners must shovel their sidewalks by 5 p.m. the day after snow stops falling.

If the City receives a complaint, crews will make a visit, with the first being a reminder. But if the snow stays, Hammes said it could add up to a bill.

“If we give them a notice, and they don’t do it, we come out, and we shovel it. And, we bill for our time and materials. That usually is in the range of $100- $125. Typical winters, we do have five or six occasions where we are actually sending city crews out to shovel the snow and then billing the property owners,” Hammes said.

The City of Colorado Springs Neighborhood Services Department can also help you find someone to assist.

To get in contact with them, call 719-444-7891 or visit their website, linked above.